AFPI Recognizes National Suicide Prevention Month, Applauds Trump Administration Steps to Help Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The America First Warfighters released the following statement in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month and in support of the Trump Administration's bold actions to expand mental health treatment options for veterans:

National Suicide Prevention Month is a solemn reminder that our Nation must do more to defend those who defended us. With the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reporting an average of 17.5 veteran suicides every day, and a staggering 61% of those veterans not receiving VA healthcare in the year prior, the status quo is unacceptable and demands urgent action.

Fortunately, the Trump Administration is acting decisively. Following executive action by President Trump, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the VA have launched a historic partnership to accelerate the deployment of rapid-acting mental health treatments, including promising psychedelic-assisted therapies. America First Warfighters also commends HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Action Plan to curb psychiatric overprescribing and shift toward a more holistic approach to mental health care.

Authorizing funding for expanded VA mental health infrastructure, supporting clinical trial participation, and removing bureaucratic barriers to FDA-approved therapies are concrete steps lawmakers can take right now to honor the sacrifices of America's veterans and military families.

"For too long, veterans returned home to a bureaucratic system ill-equipped to treat the invisible wounds of war," said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, AFPI Co-Chair for American Security. "The Trump Administration is changing that by cutting red tape and investing in breakthrough treatments. We owe our veterans nothing less than our best, and we call on all policymakers to fully support these vital efforts."

Through the America First Warfighters coalition, AFPI urges every American to check in on the veterans in their lives this month. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.